Internal combustion engines may advantageously incorporate systems such as turbochargers to compress intake air or recirculated exhaust gas. Compression of this gas permits the production of greater power by the engine. However, the compression of such intake or recirculated gases causes an increase in temperature of such gases. The turbocharger is generally coupled to an intake component of the engine via a tube or conduit commonly referred to as a charge air tube. The intake component may include an intake throttle and a charge air cooler configured to cool the compressed gas. The increase in temperature of the compressed gas leaving the turbocharger via the charge air tube causes the temperature of the charge air tube to increase significantly.
Accordingly, during engine operation, the charge tubes, which may also be experiencing significant vibrations from the engine, generally experience a significant amount of thermal expansion, which thermal expansion may cause cracking or fatigue failure in support components of the charge air tubes.